Category: EU narrative

A Family between War and Peace – A conversation with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis

Post author By Dir-Gen
Post date 16 April 2024
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Of the many politicians I follow online, no one communicates as clearly and effectively as the Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Gabrielius Landsbergis. I started following him with interest during the diplomatic tensions between Lithuania and China in 2021; the appreciation was mutual, as he also retweeted some of my memes; this fact particularly impressed my Lithuanian friends, even those that didn’t vote for his party: “He is cool, his whole family is cool”.

Reading more about him, I discovered the important role that the Landsbergis played in Lithuania history over the last centuries. And as I am a curious person, I decided to direct-message him and ask if he would agree to an interview. “Labas! That would be interesting, set it up with my advisor, she’s a fan of yours”. I thought this conversation could be interesting for DG MEME’s readers too, just as a reminder that the EU has a lot to offer, besides Macron, Von der Leyen and Sánchez.

DG Fabio Mauri, Eglė Šeputytė – Tarchanovė and Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis

interview

I’ve got you under my Schinas – A conversation on the European Way of Life

Post author By Dir-Gen
Post date 7 April 2024
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Interviewing Vice-President Margaritis Schinas, the Midday Matador, the Father-of-us-all DG COMMers, the EU’s favorite son… I didn’t think I could be up to the challenge, he is too good to let anything controversial slip. Nevertheless, after years of online interactions and memes, I gathered up my courage, contacted his communication advisor Vangelis Demiris and set up a meeting.

Director-General Fabio Mauri and Vice-President (VP) Margaritis Schinas, Commissioner for Promoting our European Way of Life

Tags european way of life, schinas

EU narrative interview

EUmanitarian Aid – An Interview with Commissioner Lenarčič

Post author By Dir-Gen
Post date 26 January 2024
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“Sorry, I have to leave you, I have an interview with DG MEME”
UNICEF UNGA September 2022
© Tina Štrafela

It is with a certain apprehension that I follow the social media account of Janez Lenarčič, Commissioner for Crisis Management: I know that every time he tweets chances are there’s been a catastrophe somewhere in the world.

EU civil protection and humanitarian aid, which means responding to disasters and crises by coordinating assistance and funding, is one of the many EU responsibilities. It is particularly relevant in these days of climate emergencies and wars, so I was very pleased when the Commissioner agreed to an interview.

Tags humanitarian aid

EU narrative

EUROPOLITAN, the Sober Fashion Magazine

Post author By Dir-Gen
Post date 17 January 2024
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In this page we collect all the issues of EUROPOLITAN, the EU Bubble’s fictional fashion magazine which is published every year on Valentine’s Day. Special thanks to LM, AH, MT, RAS and RJ for helping the creative process.

Tags europolitan

EU narrative interview

Quo Va(l)dis? A conversation with EVP Dombrovskis

Post author By Dir-Gen
Post date 18 October 2023
No Comments on Quo Va(l)dis? A conversation with EVP Dombrovskis

Since I was a trainee at the Commission I was always intrigued by Valdis Dombrovskis: his institutional smiles, his precise statements, his lulling voice… One day my curiosity took over and I finally reached out to his team, asking for a short interview. They were so kind to accept and, to my surprise, I discovered that the curiosity was mutual, as EVP Dombrovskis also reads DG MEME.

From left to right, DG Fabio Mauri, communication adviser Vanessa Mock and EVP Valdis Dombrovskis

Pablo's Corner

European elections 1979: the first massive EU communication campaign

Post author By Pablo Pérez Armenteros
Post date 6 June 2023
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Turning points in history often go unnoticed; but the European Community did not want this to happen to the first direct EU elections ever held, forty-four years ago.

The elections were set for 1979 (from 7 to 10 June) and the EU institutions had to set up their biggest communication campaign (to date). As many things in the EU, the success was debatable, but it was a first step. The first step to keep moving EU communication forward. Or at least not backward. Standing still is also fine, actually.

Pablo's Corner

The European Defense Community: a case of treaty interruptus

Post author By Pablo Pérez Armenteros
Post date 25 May 2023
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Jean Monnet, the architect of the European Union, linked his political future to the creation of a pan-European military force: before the ‘strategic autonomy’ mantra, there were a proposal, an agreement and a Treaty signed by the ‘inner six’ (27 May 1952). This is the story of the “European army”, a dream that could have been reality.

The first European Army

The planned European Defense Community (EDC) would have entailed a pan-European military: the Treaty of Paris establishing the EDC, signed in May 1952 (yes, there have been a hundred more treaties signed in Paris), established a EU co-force with a shared budget, common arms, centralized military procurement and #EUdefence institutions.

Pablo's Corner

Dinosaurs and humans living together – a (very) special Eurobarometer

Post author By Pablo Pérez Armenteros
Post date 24 May 2023
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2024 will be EU election year and the 50 anniversary of the Eurobarometer. Some sources say it started in 1973, but we will follow the “official line”. To celebrate it, we are sharing with you a bit of EU history: the (possibly) best and first Eurobarometer ever published.